


Royal Engagement

by Nerieda



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:40:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24670030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerieda/pseuds/Nerieda
Summary: When Demon Lords from the far edges of the Devildom come to visit their Prince, Neri as usual gets stuck in the middle.  An off-handed comment made in panic, and now she’s forced to pretend to be engaged to Diavolo for the duration of their stay.
Relationships: Diavolo/Female OC
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	Royal Engagement

Neri stood with Lucifer in the main hall of the House of Lamentation. The rest of the brothers were beginning to filter into the room, all of them waiting for the car to arrive to take them to the palace for the ball Diavolo was hosting that night. 

”This ball will be a little different than the ones you usually attend, Neri.” The eldest was saying. “Lord Diavolo is throwing this one in honor of the upper nobility who are visiting from the far side of the Devildom. I don’t need to remind you again that you need to act accordingly.”

Neri nodded, unconcerned. “I know how to act, Lucifer. Have I really embarrassed any of you at the balls so far?” She smoothed down the front of her teal gown, flicking the black lace overlay so it would lay properly over the richly colored satin. 

They were interrupted before he could respond by the sound of the car arriving and the rest of the demon brothers heading out the door around them. When it was just the two of them, Lucifer took Neri’s arm to escort her to the car. 

“No, but I know you and Lord Diavolo have a…friendship of sorts. His attention will need to be on the visiting Lords, not his exchange student. Don’t-”

She patted his arm with a smile as they walked down the path. “I’ve got it, Lucifer. I promise I will stay with you and the others tonight. I’d offer to stay home, but I get the feeling that I’m expected to attend.”

”Yes, he wants to showcase the success of the program so far.” Lucifer said with a sigh as he helped her into the car, seating himself next to her. “However, these demons haven’t been around humans in a setting like this before. I’m not sure that a ball is the best way to introduce them to the idea of humans in the Devildom.” The implication of that, the reminders of her first days in the Devildom and the warnings that other demons might want to eat her came to mind. 

Something of her thoughts must have registered on her face because Mammon interjected from his seat, “Oi! Lucifer quit scaring Neri. She’ll be with one of us all night, no one’s gonna touch her.” The others made sounds of agreement, and she felt the tension ease out of her shoulders. She knew none of her found family would let anyone harm her.

Lucifer laughed softly. “I’ll leave it to the six of you to keep her safe then. I’ll be occupied with Lord Diavolo entertaining the Lords.”

The remainder of the drive to the palace was uneventful, the car filled with the normal chatter of the brothers. Soon enough they arrived, Lucifer the first out of the car, reaching back in to help Neri out. She smoothed the skirts of the gown again, nervously reaching a hand up to check that her deep burgundy hair was still in place, the pins keeping it back from her face well anchored. 

“You look fine, Neri darling,” Asmodeus said as he took her arm from Lucifer. She took a deep breath, these events always sent the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She could put up a good front, but she felt so out of place without the horns, wings, or tails of the demons surrounding her. Neri smiled at Asmo, letting him lead her into the palace and to the doors of the ballroom.

The ball hadn’t officially started yet, custom having the seven Avatars arriving before the other guests to help greet as the actual guests arrived. Diavolo was already in the ballroom however, greeting them warmly while the rules of decorum could still be set aside. 

In short order the regular guest arrived, the ballroom filled with the varied demons graced with invitations to the ball. Neri moved through it all fairly comfortably at this point, one of the brothers accompanying her at all times. She couldn’t tell how may times Asmo or Satan whisked her out among the throng of dancing pairs. She heard the announcement of “Lord Volramith, Lord Galrelin, and Lady Bizech”.

Satan was the one with Neri at the moment, and she winced as his hand tightened on her arm, all but dragging her from the floor. “Satan? Satan…ow…” She tugged, trying to get him to let her go. “Satan!” He looked at her, saw his almost white-knuckled grip on her arm, and let her go fast enough you’d think she’d burned him.

“Forgive me, Neri. It’s just…Diavolo didn’t actually tell us which Demon Lords were coming. These three, we’ve had personal problems with before.” 

Neri rubbed at her arm gingerly, glad that she didn’t bruise easily. “It’s alright. Must be some personal problems.” She said quietly as they reached the table on the outskirts of the ballroom the rest of the brothers were gathered around. Every one of them had extremely sour looks on their faces, and Neri could pick up the faintest hints of growls coming from Mammon and Beel. “Guys…guys, you’ve got to calm down. Lucifer will have your hides if you cause a scene.” 

Her words were falling on deaf ears, six pairs of eyes following the visiting lords as they made their way to where Diavolo stood to greet them, Lucifer at his side. She had to give the Avatar of Pride credit, the only outward signs of his displeasure was the stiffness in his posture. She caught the sounds of dark mutterings coming from the table around her. “I swear, if they even think of speaking against Lucifer, we’re feeding them to Beel,” Belphie grumbled to her left, Asmo’s answering laugh taking a tone she’d never heard before that rose goosebumps along her arms.

She knew she shouldn’t, but Neri found herself already on her feet, slipping away from the table and through the crowd to the dais. She was already disappearing into the crowd before they realized she’d gone, so caught up in their own thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward, intending just on asking Lucifer to help her diffuse the situation at the table discreetly. She could just barely overhear the conversation Lord Volramith was having with Diavolo as she stepped out from the crowd into the open area meant to give the prince and his guests the illusion of privacy.

“Diavolo, your highness. You know my daughter, Laxtilya is of age to wed, and nothing would please me more than to combine our two great lines.” Judging from the look in Diavolo’s eyes, he was scrambling to come up with the most diplomatic way to decline the proposal. 

By that point, Lucifer had noticed her progress across the empty floor. He narrowed his eyes, preparing to step down to reach her. Lord Galrelin saw her at the same time as Lucifer, a cruel smile crossing his face as he turned his attention from Diavolo and approached Neri. Neri froze like a deer in the headlights, forcing herself to keep her nerves at bay. Diavolo noticed, moving to intercept the demon lord before anything untoward could happen.

“My my! And who are you, pet?” He inhaled deeply as he got close to Neri. “Oh, a human. And a delicious morsel of one.”

”Ah! This is Neri, one of our human exchange students.” Diavolo said with a proud smile as he reached her. Glancing over his shoulder at Volramith, he chuckled as he placed a warm hand on the small of her back. His next words made a deep blush cover Neri’s face, even as it made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. “And my fiancee.”


End file.
